Tennessee’s two most prominent cities fare well in the recently released Business Facilities’ 11 Annual Rankings Report: Metro and Global Rankings.

The publication has ranked Nashville the nation’s No. 1 city for economic growth potential and No. 8 among “tech job leaders.”

In addition, the publication (read the rankings here) ranks Memphis No. 10 as a tech job leader and No. 1 in the nation and No. 2 in the world (behind Hong Kong) as a logistic leader.

From the text:

What sets the Nashville area apart as one of the strongest, most vibrant economies in the U.S.? Its obvious distinct advantages include an ideal geographic location in the heart of the U.S. population base; a skilled workforce fueled by 100,000 college students in the region; operating costs and cost of living almost 10 percent below the U.S. average (Nashville’s cost of doing business is 88.5 percent of the national average); and a quality of life whose tone is set by being one of the top centers in the world for the creative class.

But the Music City is much more than that: Nashville has become a world-class healthcare hub.

Nashville is home to a diverse health care cluster with leaders in a number of industry niches that impact the health care landscape locally, nationally and internationally. The Nashville health care industry contributes an overall economic benefit of nearly $30 billion and more than 200,000 jobs to the local economy annually. Globally, Nashville’s health care industry generates more than $70 billion in revenue and more than 400,000 jobs.

As to Memphis being a logistics power, Business Facilities writes this:

As the global cargo hub for FedEx, Memphis International Airport remains the busiest air cargo airport for tonnage in the country and second busiest in the world behind only Hong Kong.

Companies enjoy immediate access to all four modes of transportation within 20 miles of Memphis International Airport: I-40 is the third-busiest trucking corridor in the United States; one of three major interstates in Memphis; Memphis is home to five Class I railroads (BNSF, CSX, Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern and Canadian National); and The Port of Memphis is the fourth largest inland port in the U.S.

More than 10 percent of Memphis’ workforce is employed in transportation, warehousing and utilities, the highest share among the top 100 MSAs in the U.S.

Tennessee had the 10th-highest foreclosure rates in the first half of 2015, according a news release from research firm RealtyTrac.

The median sales price of a foreclosure home in the state was $76,600, or 45 percent lower than the median sales price of non-distressed homes. The overall national foreclosure rate for the first half of 2015 was at a 10-year low.

In June, the number of Tennessee properties that received a foreclosure filing in Tennessee was 63 percent lower than the mark of the previous month and 250 percent higher than the number from the same time last year.

One third of federal executives feel the U.S. government workforce lacks necessary skills and that underperforming employees can rarely be dismissed, according to a Vanderbilt University study.

Results of the survey, which asked executives a various questions about skills, training, recruitment, aspirational goals and future career plans, prompted VU researchers to call for changes in the government service career sector.

“It’s time to do civil service reform,” David E. Lewis (pictured), William R. Kenan Jr. professor of political science and lead researcher on the Survey on the Future of Government Service, said in a press release. “I worry that it will be done in piecemeal fashion in response to a crisis rather than the right way, which is to develop a modern-day human resources system for a modern government.”

Here are some of the survey’s key findings:

* Seventy percent of federal executives report that underperforming non-managers are rarely or never reassigned or dismissed, and 64 percent of federal executives report that underperforming managers are rarely or never reassigned or dismissed;

* Only 68 percent of federal executives and 45 percent of those who are political appointees believe they have received sufficient training and guidance on how to hire, promote, reward, discipline and dismiss employees in the career civil service;

* Thirty-nine percent of federal executives agree or strongly agree that an inadequately skilled workforce is a significant obstacle to their agency fulfilling its core mission. Forty-five percent disagree or strongly disagree;

* Fifty-one percent of federal executive said the skills of the workforce in their agency had gotten better or much better during their tenure, while 19 percent said skills had gotten worse or much worse. The rest said the skills were the same.

* Forty-two percent of federal executives agree or strongly agree that they are unable to recruit the best employees. Thirty-seven percent disagree or strongly disagree;

* Twenty-four percent of career executives and 35 percent of political executives say it is likely or very likely they will leave their agency in the next 12 months.

Gateway Classic Cars — which bills itself as the world’s largest dealer of antique cars, exotic cars and race cars — is targeting an Aug. 15 opening for an indoor showroom in La Vergne.

The approximately 44,300-square-foot facility, with an address of 320 Tech Park Drive, will feature more than 100 vehicles and will be modeled after the company’s nine existing showrooms in St. Louis, Louisville, Chicago, Indianapolis, Detroit, Tampa, Houston, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.

According to a release, Gateway Classic Cars is experiencing significant growth and has projected revenues of $42 million for 2015 and $60 million in 2016.

The company sells vehicles on a consignment basis for private entities, collectors and estates.

Tennessee’s unemployment rate for June was 5.7 percent, one-tenth of one percentage point lower than the May revised rate of 5.8 percent, Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Burns Phillips announced today.

This is the fifth consecutive month of unemployment decline in the state.

From May 2014 to May 2015, Tennessee's unemployment rate decreased from 6.6 percent to 5.7 percent, while the national rate declined from 6.1 percent to 5.3 percent during the same period.

There was an increase of 5,500 non-farm jobs from May to June, with the largest increases occurring in professional/business services, health care/social assistance and durable goods manufacturing.

Year over year, non-farm employment has added 61,100 jobs. The largest increases occurred in trade/transportation/utilities, professional/business services, and education/health services.

The Tennessee Education Lottery Corp. today announced record sales and proceeds for the 2015 fiscal year, with $1.475 billion in total sales from July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2015.

The number marks an increase of $58.7 million (4.1 percent) compared to last year’s previous sales record of $1.417 billion, according to a release.

This year’s sales resulted in a contribution of $347.7 million for all education programs funded by the Lottery, also a record. This is the 11th consecutive year the Lottery has posted a consecutive gain.

"We work hard developing fresh and innovative games that respond to the market demand and offer value and entertainment for our players,” Rebecca Hargrove (pictured), Lottery president and CEO, said in the release. “In so doing, we stay focused on the corporation’s mission to serve Tennessee students and their families by responsibly raising proceeds for the designated education programs funded by the Lottery."

Instant ticket sales fueled the record year, accounting for 83 percent of all Lottery sales. In addition, 46 new instant ticket games were introduced during the year, according to the release.

Total Lottery funding for education-related programs in Tennessee — including funds used for scholarships, grants, and after-school programs — now exceeds $3.4 billion since ticket sales began in 2004.

Since the Lottery began, more than 900,000 scholarships, grants and dual-enrollment awards have been awarded to Tennessee students, including more than 100,000 during the past academic. Lottery funds are also used to support education-related activities, such as after-school programs, an ongoing project to make schools more energy efficient and the new Tennessee Promise initiative.